Jason Campbell
Building Relationships through Integrity and Awareness
I think there are a few relevant topics here. At the top of the list I would include relationships and awareness. Relationships start with each of our personal brands - how we carry ourselves, the way we speak to others, how we work with others - which create our reputations. Whether it is one's role or one's reputation, both will result in opportunities to make new connections with others. They say the best representation of someone is how they treat others when no one is looking. If you act with integrity, are honest and transparent and genuinely a kind person, I find others will enjoy being around you and ultimately interested in doing business with you. This is the prerequisite for long-term relationships which you can grow, to ensure they create lasting value, versus having to start with new individuals or groups each time.
Awareness also splits into two subtopics - industry awareness and self-awareness. As stewards of our business, it's imperative we understand the micro and macro dynamics happening around us and communicate those effectively to others, whether it is a cause of a challenge or an idea for an innovation, the business must stay aware of its surroundings and continuously pivot to stay relevant and grow market share with positive results. Similarly, we need to remain self-aware and humble of our own and business limitations. I have found communicating what we cannot do just as impactful in building trust as communicating what we can do.
Keeping Every Conversation Open
Everything is worth a conversation. Whether it's an inquiry through a website, a friend of a friend in need of advice or a recruiter reaching out to connect. These are all "open doors," as they say and worth stopping to have a chat. Even if you think you may not gain anything or it isn't a good use of your time, you'd be surprised at how that relationship equity builds and compounds over time.
Meeting the Next Generation Of Guest Expectations
Our products will continue to change based on social, aesthetic and technological trends. What is today and will remain a competitive advantage is the service delivery and genuine hospitality which accompany those products. In fact, it is likely to become even more important as we enter this next stage of the technology revolution. Anticipate guests' needs, communicate often, clearly and effectively, present yourself professionally and be attentively at their service. We all need to remain curious and continue to learn. Pick something you're passionate about and become more of a subject matter expert. At a minimum, read every day.
Those who can learn from the ground up as early as possible are often the most successful over the long term.
Capitalizing On Opportunities in a Strong Market
It's a pretty fantastic time to be in the industry. Most hotels, cruises, restaurants, airlines and individual markets are thriving. Use this time to refine the business, optimize processes and try new initiatives. These are the times in the cycle when we can increase risk-taking and explore new ways to do business that we may not have had before. Stay aware of which part of the curve you think we are in and be prepared for a few more choppy quarters.
Building a Career From the Ground Up
Start in the business before working on the business. Those who can learn from the ground up as early as possible are often the most successful over the long term due to their breadth of knowledge and firsthand experiences. This is especially true for those who are pursuing management. You can be a generalist or a specialist. There are fruitful careers in both.
